A lucrative and confusing weekend saw “The Meg” score $ 50 million and take third place at the China box office. The first two places were taken by “iPartment” and “The Island,” with over $ 70 million each. Given 125,000 screenings on its opening day, “iPartment,” an apparent sitcom adaptation, ran off with $ 44.2 million on Friday, […]

For 30 years, moviegoers have equally feared and cheered an alien creature known only as the Predator. He stalks, hunts and kills humans for sport, and for the past three decades we've watched the Predator rise to become one of the most recognizable and beloved villains in all of popular culture. On September 14, The Predator (tickets on sale now) reunites audiences with their favorite alien menace, this time from a director very familiar to the series: Shane Black (Iron Man 3,…

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Perseverance paid off for theatergoer J. Lori Johnston, who finally succeeded in getting the entire cast of “The Boys in the Band” to sign her show poster days before the runaway hit revival of the 1968 play is set to close.

Ever since his 1987 script for Lethal Weapon helped redefine the buddy-cop genre, Shane Black has carved out a name for himself as a man who knows how to make a great team-up movie. From Lethal Weapon to The Last Boy Scout to Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and The Nice Guys, Black has spent three decades creating some of the more memorable buddy movies by featuring unique characters tasked with unraveling a deliciously entertaining mystery.

What’s bigger and badder than “Jaws?” Enter “The Meg,” which certainly isn’t better, but which evokes the same simple-minded charms as the monster movies of the 1950s, where human meddling with nature had a way of unleashing gigantic problems.

Since the release of Jaws in 1975, every five years or so has a brought a film that’s intended to be “The Next Great Shark Movie.” Some, like 2011’s Shark Night, become forgettable works of pseudo-parody. Others, like 1999’s Deep Blue Sea, become generational cult classics; still others, like 2003’s Open Water and 2016’s The Shallows, pass critical muster but fail to garner a mass following. Hollywood’s latest toothy offering, The Meg, seems to have set its sights on being all of these things, and in the process fails to really deliver on any of them.

Having done as much cinematic damage as he can on land, Jason Statham takes to the seas as Jonas Taylor, a deep-sea rescue diver with a past who reluctantly signs on to a rescue mission when an ancient 80-foot megalodon (the titular “Meg”) is discovered at the bottom of the Mariana Trench. If you find yourself rolling your eyes at the previous sentence, then this movie is either right up your alley or something you should avoid at all costs, depending on your tolerance for absurdity. Statham is forced to team up with a group of scientists — including Bingbing Li and Ruby Rose, and a tech billionaire played by Rainn Wilson — to figure out how to defeat the giant fish and save humanity from extinction.

The Meg is at its best when it embraces its B-movie roots, thriving on the gasps and applause of its popcorn-munching audience. One fake-out, in particular, is engineered to draw a smile out of even the most cynical moviegoer. Unfortunately, the film seems afraid to dive into the deep end of its own schlock; for every cheer-inducing scene of shark mayhem, there are three scenes of Statham stoically addressing his co-stars, mixed with character development that might work in a movie where we really cared about any of the characters. There’s a reason that no shark movie since Jaws has fully succeeded as both a creature feature and a character study, and even that feat required the guiding hand of one of its generation’s most brilliant directors and a cast of world-class actors. The Meg, alas, has neither; no offense to Mr. Statham, but Robert Shaw he is not.

It doesn’t help matters that The Meg has been saddled with a PG-13 rating, which draws in more potential dollars but makes the shark mayhem practically toothless. When the megalodon finally makes it to civilization in the third act, you can practically feel the audience leaning forward in anticipation. The promised carnage never comes, however, leaving the ending of The Meg flat, despite an act of physics-defying super heroics that will likely be enough to leave many moviegoers walking out of the theater still laughing (in both the good way and the bad way). However, The Meg has been sold for months as a film where the biggest shark to ever appear in a summer blockbuster will finally feast on an ocean full of unsuspecting humans. This feels like the kind of film The Meg so desperately wants to be. As it turns out, we’re left to settle for some off-screen deaths, lots of close calls, and the small amount of blood the film’s rating will allow. The Meg could have been an unabashed gorefest, and seems to be setting one up, but ultimately fails to deliver. What we get feels like a missed opportunity.

Is The Meg Good?

The Meg isn’t a horrible film, but it’s not a very good one either, largely due to its complete unwillingness to fully commit to being the high-budget “low-budget” film it shows glimpses of. If the creative team had been more willing to jettison the serious stuff and risk tens of millions of dollars on an even bigger, even dumber giant shark movie, it may well have succeeded. Its big dumb moments are, by far, the highlights of the film. Unfortunately, The Meg hedges its bets and ends up weighing itself down with the kind of heavy plot and character work its audience couldn’t care less about. There’s a time and place for nuance and character. There is also a time and place for an 80-foot shark to try to eat the quippy star of the Transporter franchise for 90 minutes. This movie has too much of the former and too little of the latter. By not exploiting its strengths, The Meg exposes its weaknesses, ultimately causing the entire film to slowly sink to the bottom of the sea.

Check out this bonus video where stars Ruby Rose and Rainn Wilson take on other monstrous Megs.

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The Simpsons is one of television’s greatest comedies (as well as its longest-running), and Futurama remains a beloved cult series with a following dedicated enough to get it revived from cancellation. Yet neither of Matt Groening’s animated triumphs were deemed a classic from the start. In both cases, the key to developing their signature humor was time—to cultivate characters’ personalities and relationships; to establish and expand their unique milieus; and to identify and nurture a distinctive atmosphere and attitude. Only after that creative baseline was in place, replete with fully-formed protagonists and a panoply of peripheral players, did those shows truly thrive, since such groundwork allowed them to then have unbridled absurdist fun playing to—or against—their strengths.

All of which is to say that anyone expecting Disenchantment to be phenomenal right out of the gate is probably suppressing memories of the maiden seasons of The Simpsons and Futurama, when laughs were less consistent simply because those series were still finding their voice and constructing their expansive worlds. Nonetheless, as far as early efforts go, Groening’s third small-screen endeavor, whose debut ten-episode run arrives on Netflix August 17, is routinely entertaining. A saga set in a swords-and-sorcery universe based on the likes of The Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones, it boasts the hallmarks of its creator’s prior work while traversing familiar—and fertile—fantasy terrain.

SPOILER ALERT: Do not read if you have not yet watched the Aug. 6 finale episode of “The Bachelorette.” After a season of ups and downs and plenty of off-camera drama, “The Bachelorette” finally came to a close this week, with Becca Kufrin choosing between Garrett Yrigoyen and Blake for her happily ever after. And if […]

http://www.acrx.org -As millions of Americans strive to deal with the economic downturn,loss of jobs,foreclosures,high cost of gas,and the rising cost of prescription drug cost. Charles Myrick ,the President of American Consultants Rx, announced the re-release of the American Consultants Rx community service project which consist of millions of free discount prescription cards being donated to thousands of not for profits,hospitals,schools,churches,etc. in an effort to assist the uninsured,under insured,and seniors deal with the high cost of prescription drugs.-American Consultants Rx -Pharmacy Discount Network News

One artisan-crafted home fragrance line seems to perfume the chicest places around Italy. Find it at Rome’s beloved Pierluigi restaurant—known for its fish and intimate Piazza de ‘Ricci’ square off of the storied Via Giulia—and at the impeccable Palazzina Grassi hotel in Venice. Elegant and discreet, Dr. Vranjes’s perfumes can be recognized by their arched, mouth-blown glass bottle, modeled after Brunelleschi’s Dome—Florence’s tallest. Founded by Dr. Paolo Vranjes and his wife Anna Maria, the company’s extensive collection of 40 fragrances are greatly influenced by the scents of Florence—specifically its lush gardens.

The first season of Amazon’s Golden Globe-winning — and now Emmy-nominated — comedy “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” ended on a high note for the titular character. But times may be changing when the show returns to her world in its second season. “We left Midge in a pretty triumphant moment: She’s finally arrived into Mrs. Maisel, […]

Now that Iris and Barry’s daughter from the future has taken The Flash Season 5 trailer by storm, fans are wondering what her story is and how it will fit into Season 5. While we can’t know what the show has in store moving forward, we can look backwards to the comics for clues regarding the life and times of Nora West-Allen.

Without further ado – but with plenty of decades old comic spoilers – let’s dive into a brief history of Dawn Allen and how The Flash might incorporate her story.

Developing a Legacy

Iris with Dawn & Don in “The Life Story of the Flash” (1997)

While Nora arrived alone to visit her parents, her comic counterpart Dawn Allen usually has a partner in crime-fighting. Together, Dawn and her twin brother Don form a superhero team-up called the Tornado Twins. They were first introduced in Adventure Comics #373 in 1968, where they were merely “direct descendants” of Barry Allen who had not inherited his speed. But that changed after “Crisis on Infinite Earths,” and by 1991 they were reintroduced as Iris and Barry’s metahuman children who had to hide their powers on pain of death. Wally even learns from Iris that her kids died after saving the world from Dominators and her grandson was experimented on by the government. There’s hints of this kind of future on The Flash as well, given the introduction of Dominators during “Invasion!” and the phone call Barry made to Gideon in 2056 about having lost too many people.

As the years went on, the family tree expanded further and more details were added. Flash Vol. 2 #92 introduced Bart Allen in the flesh, revealing that he was Don’s son via a forbidden romance with Meloni Thawne. Their Romeo & Juliet-esque marriage was the cause of a lot of heartbreak, thanks to a centuries old family feud between the Allens and the Thawnes. At one point, Meloni and Iris even team up to rescue Bart from the clutches of his other grandfather before being forced to hide him somewhere in the past. Dawn’s own daughter Jenni first showed up in 1995, discovering her powers after a terrifying run-in with Dominators and exposing herself in order to save her father.

The most tragic part of all? Much like Barry never got a chance to meet his kids before dying, Dawn and Don didn’t get to spend much time with their children before being executed for treason for the simple crime of being metahumans who tried to help others. Not knowing her dad in the future would certainly explain her eagerness around him in the past.

Changing the Future

The twins debate using their powers against Iris’ wishes. (The Flash Vol. 2 #114)

If Nora does indeed hail from a reality as dark as Dawn’s, that would explain her forlorn speech to Cecile in “Therefore She Is” about not having much time. How could such a bleak backstory come into play on The Flash, which tries to maintain a lighter tone and clings to hope above all else? One way rests in a key part of Nora’s identity: the fact that she’s from the future. The show has previously played with time travel, subtly marking the difference between changing the past in “Flashpoint” and changing the future when it came to saving Iris from Savitar. Interestingly enough, Nora’s adventures thus far have followed a path similar to her father’s.

Her reasons for coming to 2018 are unclear, but it’s certain that helping Barry stop the satellite was a “big, big mistake” for Nora to make. The trailer even hints at her revealing a secret about the future to Barry, which might lead the team down another causal loop like the one in Season 3. But it’s important to remember that even if her personal future is dark and depressing, it’s still nothing but a potential outcome. Instead of letting the future’s inevitability weight them down like it has before, Barry and Iris help their daughter with a more enlightened understanding of time travel and the speed force. If nothing else, it’ll be fun to watch Barry teach his daughter the lessons he previously refused to learn.

The future as a malleable experience also has its roots in the comics, which recently allowed Barry and Iris to glimpse a possible future in which the Tornado Twins are criminals hell-bent on getting revenge against their father for not being around enough. Despite being shaken by the prospect, Barry and Iris have since resumed their relationship with the knowledge that just because it could happen doesn’t mean it will. When it comes to The Flash TV show, Nora currently seems like an angel – albeit one who makes as many mistakes as Barry – but what if her brother is the one who has gone rogue? Watching Barry, Iris and the rest of the team trying to save someone they haven’t even met yet would certainly be a new experience.

Nora Allen’s Powers

Nora’s powers are very similar to her father’s:

Connection to the speed force

Accelerated healing

Superhuman agility

Superhuman strength

Ability to time travel

Creation of vortexes

Enhanced senses

Phasing

The Flash Season 5

Make room for XS!

The possibilities for how to incorporate Dawn’s origins into Nora’s story are endless, but they all promise to make good use of both time travel and family dynamics. And what more could we want from a show about a time traveling speedster whose ever-growing family keeps him on a heroic path?

As for Nora’s journey ahead, FANDOM caught up with actress Jessica Parker Kennedy at San Diego Comic-Con. According to Kennedy, she is definitely a Daddy’s girl. “Nora is a lot like Barry, the way that Barry was earlier on. She’s finding her footing. She’s goofy, she’s dorky, she very young-spirited, she’s prone to making mistakes and needing other people to clean them up — she’s in the experimental phase of her life.”

As for joining the show, Kennedy knew her character’s journey from the beginning. While Nora was lurking at Barry and Iris’ wedding, Kennedy knew exactly who she was and why she was there. “My favorite moment so far has been in the crossover where I talk to him at the wedding. There’s a sense of wondering and imagining what it would be like to meet your parent whom you’ve never met as a young person.”

Does that mean Barry isn’t alive in her timeline? Is that why her relationship with her mother is strained? Kennedy did confirm that her relationship with Iris would be different than her relationship with Barry. “Something has definitely happened that makes her feel more closer to her father than her mother. It’s something that you’ll find out relatively early on in this season.”

There’s been a lot of back and forth regarding Kenya Moore’s return to ‘The Real Housewives of Atlanta’ and we’re here to tell you exactly what’s going on.

A source close to production exclusively tells lovebscott.com:

“Bravo execs are demanding Kenya film her pregnancy journey with her husband and stay on a full ‘housewife’ filming schedule, but punish her by cutting her salary 90% and paying her as a ‘friend’. We’re told her husband has agreed to film this season only to support Kenya but they won’t give her a fair contract. All this because they want to publicly humiliate Kenya for not getting married on TV and her husband for not filming the entire season.”

A source close to Kenya says She’s in talks with 3 networks to do a spin-off now if Bravo refuses to pay her what she deserves.

Sources exclusively tell lovebscott.com that in terms of storylines we can expect more of the same.

As expected, NeNe Leakes’ primary focus thus far is Gregg’s cancer battle. The ladies are rallying around NeNe offering their support and she just doesn’t have time for drama.

Cynthia Bailey is dating a new man.

Porsha Williams is also ‘dating’ a new man. Our sources say he’s a drug dealer from Detroit.

Kandi Burruss has the most going on, but as always it’s business related. She and Todd are opening a new OLG and she’s still doing shows with Xscape.

Eva Marcille is said to be showing up high for every event and the girls are over it. Now that she has given birth, she’s busy planning her upcoming wedding to Michael Sterling.

A few months ago we exclusively told you that two new ladies were testing to join the group. Our sources say Tanya actually declined to sign the newly-revised ‘standard contract’ so she’s no longer filming. Shamari DID sign the new contract and she’s still testing. It’s too early to tell how important Shamari will be to the season or if she’ll even make the cut at all.

That’s all the tea we have for now. Be sure to listen and subscribe to ‘The B. Scott Show’ podcast for more on your favorite celebrities!

SPOILER ALERT: Do not read if you have not yet watched the July 23 episode of “The Bachelorette.” With a potential engagement now just two weeks away, Becca Kufrin is down to her last three men on Week 9 of “The Bachelorette.” Garrett, Blake and Jason remain, and after hometown dates last week, traveled to Thailand for the […]

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http://www.acrx.org -As millions of Americans strive to deal with the economic downturn,loss of jobs,foreclosures,high cost of gas,and the rising cost of prescription drug cost. Charles Myrick ,the President of American Consultants Rx, announced the re-release of the American Consultants Rx community service project which consist of millions of free discount prescription cards being donated to thousands of not for profits,hospitals,schools,churches,etc. in an effort to assist the uninsured,under insured,and seniors deal with the high cost of prescription drugs.-American Consultants Rx -Pharmacy Discount Network News

SPOILER ALERT: Warning, this article contains mild spoilers for The Flash Season 5. Proceed at your own risk.

The cast of The Flashgave a preview of the show’s 5th season today during San Diego Comic-Con. Season 4 ended with Team Flash outsmarting The Thinker (Neil Sandilands) and stopping the Enlightenment. It also revealed the identity of the season’s mystery girl as Barry (Grant Gustin) and Iris‘ (Candice Patton) daughter Nora (Jessica Parker Kennedy), a speedster from the future.

Nora and her “big mistake” will play a major role in Season 5 of The Flash. Barry and Iris will not only have to deal with the repercussions of her actions but also with being parents to an adult child. Not to mention, Nora brings with her some big secrets from the future.

What Is a Legacy?

With the 100th episode of The Flash on the horizon, the cast spent time during the panel looking back on their time on the show. They all expressed their gratitude at getting a chance to play these characters and shared memories from their first days of shooting. This is all especially fitting because producer Todd Helbing says Season 5 is focused on the theme of legacy. “Everyone is thinking about what it means,” he explained.

With Nora in the picture, this is especially true. Barry has a new responsibility with a daughter in his life. Grant Gustin says that Barry will take the patience he learned from Joe (Jesse L. Martin) and apply it to his relationship with Nora. And with fathers like Joe and Henry (John Wesley Shipp), Barry has big shoes to fill.

Hey, Our Kid Is Pretty Great!

Nora is going to throw a big wrench into the West-Allen family’s life. “It’s a brand new dynamic on the show. I think we’re all in very different head spaces about it,” says Gustin. “Nora is [clings] to Barry, and we don’t know why. And she’s kind of distant to Iris.” Candice Patton says that it’s hard for Iris to see Barry and Nora form an instant bond. She wants to find out what happened between her and her daughter that could cause such a coldness.

The Comic-Con trailer also hinted at an emotional scene between Barry and Nora. There is an event in the future that Barry wants to know about (typical) that seems to cause his daughter a great deal of pain. Could the reason Nora is so unwilling to let her father out of her sight have something to do with a certain Crisis of 2024? Only time will tell!

The Flash Season 5 premieres Tuesday, October 9, 2018, at 8 p.m. on the CW.

In “The Equalizer 2,” out Friday, Boston vigilante Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) now drives for Lyft. He picks people up — get it? But he also crushes baddies. That includes creeps who abuse a young woman and then dump her into his car. “Make sure I get a 5-star rating,” McCall barks, just…

Angie Thomas’ debut novel, The Hate U Give, became an instant success, topping The New York Times best-seller list and earning multiple literary awards shortly after its release in February 2017. The book addresses the ills of modern day racism and police brutality as seen through the lens of a 16-year-old black girl named Starr Carter. Throughout the story, Starr grapples with living in two vastly different worlds: the low-income community of color where she grew up and the predominantly white prep school she attends. Her life, however, takes a tragic turn when she witnesses the fatal shooting of her best friend—an unarmed young, black man—at the hands of white police officers.

Censoring Literature

While Thomas has been applauded for tackling controversial themes in The Hate U Give, some critics argue that the social context is divisive and inappropriate for young adults. In fact, police in Charleston, South Carolina, have made a concerted effort to ban the book from a summer reading program for students at Wando High School. According to the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) Tri-County Lodge #3, one of the largest police unions in the country, both The Hate U Give and All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely depict police officers in a negative light. FOP lodge president John Blackmon even went as far as to describe the books as “an indoctrination of distrust of police.”

“Whether it be through social media, whether it be through text message, whether it be phone calls, we’ve received an influx of tremendous outrage at the selections by this reading list,” said Blackmon to local news channel News 2. “Freshmen, they’re at the age where their interactions with law enforcement have been very minimal. They’re not driving yet, they haven’t been stopped for speeding, they don’t have these type of interactions.”

He added, “There are other socio-economic topics that are available and they want to focus half of their effort on negativity towards the police? That seems odd to me.”

Written In Love

However, in an interview with Black Enterprise, Thomas said the basis of the book was written out of love and to inspire people to become more compassionate toward each other. “There’s so much love in this. And I hope that they walk away feeling that,” she said at the 2018 Essence Festival.

Thomas also talked about her excitement for the release of the book’s film adaption, which stars Amandla Stenberg (Hunger Games), Regina Hall (Girls Trip), Algee Smith (Detroit), Russell Hornsby, Common, and Issa Rae.

“I think the movie, in a lot of ways, will be cathartic, especially for people who are dealing with this every single day. I think this is an experience that will heal in a lot of ways. And it’s going to open more eyes,” said Thomas. “I think they’re going to walk away feeling even more empowered and inspired. And if, nothing else, I hope they feel seen.”

Thomas also acknowledged that the strong social context may be triggering for some audiences, especially those who have been directly affected by police brutality or are fighting against it. “I’m never going to tell a person to go beyond their own emotional boundaries or what they feel like they can or cannot handle. But I would say, give it a shot, because if nothing else, I hope you walk away from this inspired.” She added, “You have people in the [Black Lives Matter] movement who’ve read the book, who were like ‘I wasn’t sure if I should read this book because I didn’t know if it was going to trigger me.’ But then they read it and they were like, ‘this is what I needed.’”

Ultimately, she says she hopes that both the book and the movie “create more empathy” and makes a lasting impression particularly on young women of color.

“I hope that the young black girls who go into the theater or pick up my book see themselves in it and see just how amazing they are in a world that so often tells them that they’re not enough. I hope that the movie and this book shows them that they are perfect just the way they are.”

The lies are starting to catch up with everyone who’s been telling them, and things are slowly unraveling for everyone involved. This is especially true for Tariq (Michael Rainey, Jr.) who’s been telling both his parents that he was no where around when his sister Raina (Donshea Hopkins) was murdered.

A surprise visit to the St. Patrick’s home from a detective who’s asking follow up questions on Tariq’s whereabouts the night of the murder are setting off red flags for Tasha (Naturi Naughton). She knows he’s not being honest but, then again, she hasn’t been completely honest with him about anything pertaining to their family business as drug dealers.

Their dishonesty with one another finally comes to an end during their trip to Choate. In the car they have an open, heart to heart conversation where Tasha tells him how rough it was growing up in Queens for she and Ghost (Omari Hardwick). Selling drugs was their only way out of the hood to provide a better life for their family.

She tells him that she and Ghost kept that part of their lives away from him and his sisters to protect them. Since she’s willing to open up to him, he finally opens up to her and tells her the truth. In a tearful confession, Tariq admits to being there when Ray Ray shot Raina.

He may have finally spoken the truth about the details from that night but that doesn’t stop the continuous damage control that needs to be done on his behalf. Angela Valdes (Lela Loren) seems to be doing her best in handling that. Especially when it comes to Internal Affairs officer Blanca Rodriguez (Monique Gabriella Curnen).

Rodriquez is getting way too close to figuring out there’s a connection between Valdes, Tariq, Ray Ray’s murder and Raina’s. She’s poking around asking way too many questions and finds that Valdes’ name keeps popping up in all of those answers. The pressure is on Valdes and she has to act fast. She issues a warrant to have Rodriquez’s investigation shut down. After all, she is calling the shots over at the AUSA’s office now, so she can do that!

Valdes and her AUSA cohorts are busy in other areas too. They finally put the pieces of the puzzle together to see the big picture and at the center of it all is not the Jiminez “brothers” but the Jiminez siblings – Diego and his sister Alicia.

The brother/sister pair are the big drug connects they’ve been searching for and they’ve finally figured out that they’ve been right there in their city this whole time. Valdes is ready to issue warrants to bring them both in Meanwhile, Mak (Sung Kang) and Saxe (Cooper Johnson) are on a private mission of their own to bring down Tommy (Joseph Sikora) and Ghost but they don’t have the information that they need to make that happen just yet. So, they arrange a visit with someone who may be able to provide them with some inside information – Tony Teresi (William Sadler), Tommy’s newfound father.

Mak and Saxe meet with Teresi in prison and offer him a deal for immediate, early release if he’s willing to play ball with them on gathering information to take down Tommy and Ghost. Ironically, Teresi tells them that this is the deal he’s been waiting for since he connected with Tommy.

At a Wimbledon press conference on Friday, The Telegraph’s Jamie Johnson asked legendary tennis player and Olympic medalist Serena Williams how she handles being “the one to beat” on the court. In response, Williams did something women often don’t: she acknowledged her achievements and didn’t shy away from celebrating her own success.

“I’m glad someone admitted that,” Williams said. “Every single match I play, whether I’m coming back from a baby, or surgery, it doesn’t matter, because these young ladies bring a game that I’ve never seen before… When I watch them play, it’s a totally different game than when they play me.”

Williams also celebrated the women who challenge her on the courts—and credited them for making her even better. “I always play everyone at their greatest, so I have to be greater,” Williams explained, saying that the fierce competition her opponents bring when they’re facing her in a match is “what makes her great.” She declared that her skill level is “so much higher because of it, from years and years of being played like that.”

About a month ago, at a press conference for the French Open, a journalist asked Williams whether she had “ever been intimidated by anyone on a tennis court.” She confidently responded that she never had. Williams has no reason to respond differently, of course; the winner of four Olympic gold medals and 23 Grand Slam titles is often revered as the greatest living athlete.

That alone is revolutionary, considering Williams’ identity as a woman in sports, and specifically a Black woman in the white, male-dominated world of tennis. In every assertion that she recognizes her own greatness, Williams additionally inspires women everywhere to do the same—without apologizing.

Carmiya Baskin is an editorial intern at Ms. and a third-year Feminist Studies major at UC Santa Barbara. Her work has appeared in The Bottom Line, a student-run newspaper at UCSB, and EqualTalk, a feminist blog she co-founded through a women empowerment and teen leadership organization, Girls Give Back. She is passionate about all things related to intersectional feminism, Harry Potter and Disney, and she enjoys eating peanut butter right out of the jar while binge-watching The Office.

The alleged incident went down back in April in Philly, when Harris’ gf of 2 years, Anya Richardson, claimed he flew into a violent rage that landed her in the hospital.

According to a police report, obtained by TMZ, Richardson claimed he struck her multiple times in the stomach, neck and ribs. Richardson also alleged he spat on her face and choked her.

We reached out to Richardson, who tells TMZ … Harris invited her to Philly where he was shooting “Creed II.” She tells us they were in his hotel room when the unprovoked attack allegedly went down.

She says she went to the hospital the next day and reported the incident to police the day after her hospital visit. We spoke to a rep for the Philadelphia D.A.’s Office who tells us … they could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt a crime had occurred, so they declined to prosecute.

Richardson’s attorney, Alberto Ebanks, tells TMZ … his client “feels there is little choice but to pursue alternative remedies to help protect other women from the threat of assault.”

A rep for Harris tells TMZ … “The account by this woman is pure fabrication. Wood was never questioned by the authorities and that should speak to the authenticity of the accusation. No further comment.”

http://www.acrx.org -As millions of Americans strive to deal with the economic downturn,loss of jobs,foreclosures,high cost of gas,and the rising cost of prescription drug cost. Charles Myrick ,the President of American Consultants Rx, announced the re-release of the American Consultants Rx community service project which consist of millions of free discount prescription cards being donated to thousands of not for profits,hospitals,schools,churches,etc. in an effort to assist the uninsured,under insured,and seniors deal with the high cost of prescription drugs.-American Consultants Rx -Pharmacy Discount Network News

From the threat of a mass hanging at Fenway Park in the premiere, to the violent rape of our heroine in the 10th episode, to, most recently, the public drowning of 15-year-old Eden and her forbidden lover, the show’s dystopian landscape was often too brutal to bear.

“To whom it may concern… if it ain’t come from me or @majorgirl it ain’t real. Family Hustle On Ice until further notice. Thx,” he wrote.

No word on whether or not the show will ever return. T.I. and Tiny seemed to be part of the reality TV curse which breaks up more couples than divorce lawyers do.

The estranged couple’s current marital status is unclear, although no divorce has yet been announced. Tiny just finished up a tour with Xscape, though the quartet still has some dates scheduled throughout the summer. Tiny also has a perfume, Major Girl that just launched.

Are you OK on that couch, hun? Need some chamomile? Many, many things happened in The Affair on Sunday night. There was a lot of plot, a lot of feeling, and more than a lot of looking and brooding—enough brooding, in fact, to produce a sky full of the kind of cloud cover that hung above Alison and her new squeeze Ben’s boat trip.

And there was an affair. Finally, the show’s title was relevant again.

That boat trip was supposed to be cute, but I also kept thinking about Dead Calm, too. That’s what could be a cute date gets redrawn as on The Affair. It’s less will they get together and more: will they both get home with minds and bodies intact?

Photographer Ryan McGinley, in his third year of shooting the event for Vogue, captured the joy and exuberance of Pride’s festivities in Manhattan, including the Dyke March that started at Bryant Park on Saturday, followed by the Pride march on Sunday.

As we’ve learned from the first three entries in the Purge franchise, “the Purge” is an annual night of lawlessness sanctioned by the United States government.

Instituted by the reigning right-wing New Founding Fathers of America (NFFA) Party, it’s ostensibly a method for allowing citizens to cleanse themselves of their fury. In a nation wracked by economic woes, unchecked crime and rampant drug use, this evening of barbarism is sold to the public as a “societal catharsis,” even as our despotic domestic powers-that-be use it as a covert way to eradicate the supposedly greatest burdens on American life (i.e. minorities) and, in doing so, achieve a form of population control. It’s anarchy in service of racist/classist genocide.

And as The First Purge now reveals, its original architect was none other than…Marisa Tomei?

http://www.acrx.org -As millions of Americans strive to deal with the economic downturn,loss of jobs,foreclosures,high cost of gas,and the rising cost of prescription drug cost. Charles Myrick ,the President of American Consultants Rx, announced the re-release of the American Consultants Rx community service project which consist of millions of free discount prescription cards being donated to thousands of not for profits,hospitals,schools,churches,etc. in an effort to assist the uninsured,under insured,and seniors deal with the high cost of prescription drugs.-American Consultants Rx -Pharmacy Discount Network News

On a hot summer day, when New Yorkers are hoping for a little bit of rain, Lincoln Center Theater just released a video from the recording session ofThe Rain in Spain.’Watch below as Lauren Ambrose, Harry Hadden-Paton, and Allan Corduner sing the famous tuneBroadwayWorld.com Featured Content

Even in the bleakest fictional dystopias, we can still turn to Oprah Winfrey as humanity’s saving grace.

You might’ve totally missed the benevolent Queen of Broadcast’s subtle cameo in Episode 11 of Handmaid’s Tale Season 2, ‘Holly.‘ But even a small glimmer of her presence provided a rare, needed moment of comfort in one of the most depressing shows to ever air on television.

In the episode, June is desperately trying to figure out how to escape Gilead during an unexpected moment of opportunity. Finding herself alone, extremely pregnant, and stuck in a secluded, snow-logged house, she discovers a functioning car. But that’s not the only god-like intervention. Read more…

In Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (above), Chris Pratt is a reluctant hero, pressed into service to track down the grown-up Velociraptor named Blue when a volcano erupts at the ruined theme park formerly known as Jurassic World. The film unleashes a flurry of dark delights, which we won't spoil here, but we can definitely recommend seeing it in a theater.

While we'd love to see Pratt reprise his role as Owen Grady in another installment in the Jurassic series, here is what's…

Best friends Mila Kunis and Kate McKinnon have a tried-and-true bond that has survived everything else in their lives. Their friendship is put to the test, however, when one of them learns that her ex-boyfriend was actually a spy, entangling them in an international conspiracy that quickly spirals out of control.

In our exclusive video from the upcoming The Spy Who Dumped Me, Kunis and McKinnon take us behind the scenes as they talk about the espionage adventure."My character is not an…

Need a quick recap of the past week in movie news? Here are the highlights:

BIG NEWS

The Witches remake on the way: Robert Zemeckis, who hasn't made a family film in a while, is heading back to kid-friendly territory with a new adaptation of Roald Dahl's The Witches. Read more here and check out a trailer for Zemeckis' next movie down below.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – U.S. broadcast network ABC said on Thursday it has ordered a 10-episode spinoff of comedy “Roseanne” that will air without any involvement of its creator Roseanne Barr, who sparked widespread outrage by tweeting a racial slur.

http://www.acrx.org -As millions of Americans strive to deal with the economic downturn,loss of jobs,foreclosures,high cost of gas,and the rising cost of prescription drug cost. Charles Myrick ,the President of American Consultants Rx, announced the re-release of the American Consultants Rx community service project which consist of millions of free discount prescription cards being donated to thousands of not for profits,hospitals,schools,churches,etc. in an effort to assist the uninsured,under insured,and seniors deal with the high cost of prescription drugs.-American Consultants Rx -Pharmacy Discount Network News

A new, big-screen version of Roald Dahl's The Witches is on its way from Warner Bros. and filmmaker Robert Zemeckis (The Walk, above), according to Variety. Here's what we know so far.

What's the source material?

Published in 1983, the children's book by Roald Dahl follows an 8-year-old British boy who goes to Norway to live with his grandmother after his parents are killed. His grandmother tells him stories about witches, describing them as horrifying creatures who only…

People stroll amid flowers blooming in the Huasco region on the Atacama
desert, some 600 km north of Santiago, on August 26,2017. A gigantic
mantle of multicolored flowers covers the Atacama Desert, the driest in
the world. In years of very heavy seasonal rains a natural phenomenon
known as the Desert in Bloom occurs, making the seeds of some 200 desert
plants to germinate suddenly some two months after the precipitations.MARTIN BERNETTI / AFP

Many people have fond memories of hearing Boris Karloff voice Dr. Seuss' classic character The Grinch in the animated television show How the Grinch Stole Christmas, directed by Chuck Jones. More recently, Jim Carrey memorably embodied the grouchy character in Ron Howard's same-titled live-action version in 2000, which won a lot of new Grinch fans.

Now a new animated feature version is heading to theaters. We were teased with a TV spot earlier this year during the Olympics and then…

“Nolite te bastardes carborundorum.” It’s not actually real Latin, more of a joke phrase, but it was last seen carved inside a wardrobe in a first season episode of The Handmaid’s Tale, where it gave downtrodden hero Offred (Elisabeth Moss) inspiration to rise up against her captors. The translation? “Don’t let the bastards grind you down.”

It’s exactly the kind of worldly wisdom that Offred needed to hear at that moment in time, but it might as well have been delivered directly to the show’s viewers, who by that point had suffered through countless scenes of sadistic behaviour, psychological and physical torture, misogyny, abuse and ritualistic oppression.

An adaptation (and continuation) of the Margaret Atwood novel of the same name, The Handmaid’s Tale opened its second season with a terrifying mass hanging and then got cheerier still — we’ve since seen brutal murders, poisonings and countless scenes of men and women being dragged kicking and screaming to their doom… and those are the good bits. We’ve also discovered that the aforementioned Latin message has been sanded off the wardrobe. Or, in other words, it has been ground down. Fitting, for a show that’s keen on snuffing out hope in even its most futile forms.

PEAK BLEAK

The Handmaid’s Tale is just one of a recent crop of bleak TV shows that seem like they’re daring you to stop watching with each passing episode — it’s as if they take great pleasure in creating worlds where great pleasure itself is forbidden.

Take a series like The Walking Dead — a true ‘peak bleak’ phenomenon if ever there was one. Here we have a show that continues a painful slog towards an ending that couldn’t possibly be considered happy. The Walking Dead is set in a world where the vast majority of humanity has been turned into gurning corpses, so it’s not like we’re expecting quickfire gags and silly moustaches, but when did you last truly enjoy an episode? The showrunners go to such great lengths to set a gruesome and nihilistic tone, they’ve begun actively punishing their characters for enjoying fleeting moments of levity.

Any scene like Negan’s infamous double-header Lucille murder spree isn’t just doling out suffering to its characters — it’s making viewers suffer too. Blow by blow, beat by beat, blood spurt by blood spurt, it pummels us into submission, just like it did Rick Grimes and friends.

SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES

The Leftovers.

Even critically acclaimed shows, like HBO’s The Leftovers, have been accused of revelling in too much misfortune and misery. A widely-shared Entertainment Weekly article from 2014 by pop culture writer Melissa Maerz bemoaned the gratuitous opening scene to episode ‘Gladys,’ in which a female character is repeatedly stoned to death over an agonising 88-second sequence: “The scene made me feel like I was being punished for something, maybe for tuning in to watch such a grim show. You want to see people suffer? Well, careful what you wish for — take a look at this!”

Shows like Broadchurch and Top Of The Lake investigate child murder and rape and get progressively more glum from there on in. There was barely a single scene in AMC’s The Killing that wasn’t rain-lashed and miserable. Netflix teen suicide drama 13 Reasons Why gave you way more reasons to switch off than it did to keep watching. The latest series of Ryan Murphy’s American Crime Story, The Assassination of Gianni Versace, started with the savage and bloody murder of the Italian fashion icon, played out backwards and still ended up more depressing than it started. To embark on a new TV box set these days is to expose yourself to approximately 10 hours of doom, gloom and heartbreak.

So why do we continue to tune in? Why do we return week after week for more of the same? It’s a big question, so to answer it we need to think big. Why do we watch TV? Most people would probably tell you it’s because they want to be entertained — maybe they want to enjoy some escapism from the real world.

Sure, we all like well-told stories and drama and great performances — which all of the aforementioned shows have in abundance — but TV isn’t exactly short on well-written, fun, uplifting shows right now either. In fact, the current climate of bleak TV has let light-hearted comedies like The Good Place thrive (it’s mostly set in Hell, but don’t let that put you off) while shows like Black Mirror purposely skewer the downbeat sensibilities of the peak bleak clique with a dark sense of humour (it was hard to watch ‘Crocodile’ from the latest season without thinking it was a tongue-in-cheek pastiche of soul-destroying Scandi drama).

REALITY BITES

The Jinx.

Television in 2018 is a crowded market, and it’s getting harder for shows to be heard among the white noise — even Netflix struggle to promote ‘originals’ on their own service due to the sheer volume of programming. So, for a show to be truly seen these days — for it to deliver its message as intended — it doesn’t hurt if it does so by being extra shocking or upsetting or relentlessly ghastly. The more raw the audience response, the more that show gets talked about — if you’re feeling something, even revulsion, then the show has made its mark.

But maybe escapism from the real world is not really why we watch TV any more — and maybe some TV is closer to home than we’d like to admit. Documentary series like Making A Murderer, The Keepers and The Jinx use real crimes and real people to keep us hooked: the televisual facade between fact and fiction is getting thinner all the time. After all, we don’t have to watch The Handmaid’s Tale to see crying children torn from their parents’ arms, we just have to turn on the news.

Shows like this reflect the real world back at us but in a more palatable form. We can always stop watching if we want to… but we don’t. Perhaps it’s so we can keep reality at arm’s length. But perhaps, subconsciously, we just want to see what happens next.

Need a quick recap of the past week in movie news? Here are the highlights:

BIG NEWS

Wonder Woman sequel teases a surprising co-star: We learned Wonder Woman 2 is titled Wonder Woman 1984 and saw some new images from the '80s-set superhero movie, including one mysteriously featuring Chris Pine as the previously killed-off Steve Trevor. Read more here and check out more Gal Gadot news here.

Do you have a craving for more creepy horror movies from the Conjuring franchise? Well, The Nun is coming to satisfy your habit — pun intended. This one is a prequel spin-off of the first Conjuring sequel (pictured above), as we were introduced to the "Demon Nun" Valak in the 2016 release The Conjuring 2. And it's being sold as its "darkest chapter."

With only a few months left until the release of The Nun, Warner Bros. has unleashed a poster and will share the…

U.S. tennis great Andre Agassi says a generation of young American tennis players could once again dominate the game like he and Pete Sampras did in the 1990s.

Speaking in Paris during the French Open, which he was attending as an ambassador for the Swiss watchmaker Longines, Agassi told TIME that he thought U.S. players had suffered in world rankings while an unusually gifted generation of players like Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal have dominated the scene. “This generation hasn’t left a lot of room for anybody to pick up any slack,” he says.

Yet there are bright American stars emerging, said the former world number one. Agassi says Frances Tiafoe, “a hell of an athlete,” could be one to watch at slams in the years to come; as well as the 6’ 11’’ Reilly Opelka. “I think we have the possibility of someone sneaking through.”

When Agassi played professionally, from 1986 to 2006, it was during an era of American dominance in the men’s game. He and Sampras spent long periods as the world number 1, following in the footsteps of U.S. champions from Stan Smith to John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors. Today, though, European players like Federer and Nadal are the stars of men’s tennis. Andy Roddick was the last American man to win a Grand Slam singles title way back in 2003.

That same year, Agassi became the oldest number 1 tennis player at 33—a record since broken by Federer, who took the number 1 at the age of 36, after five years away from the top spot. Both had a late career surge, although Agassi insists that beyond that, his career bears little resemblance to Federer’s.

“He’s played a long time, certainly longer than me and surpassed me as the oldest number one, and he deserves to hold all those accolades.” But Agassi says unlike Federer, he went through more trials and tribulations, often ones that were “a bit more self-inflicted and desperate.”

Manuel Mazzanti—NurPhoto/Getty ImagesRoger Federer, from Switzerland, in action against Thanasi Kokkinakis, from Australia, during his second round match at the Miami Open in Key Biscayne on March 24, 2018 in Key Biscayne, Florida.

When it comes to what Federer brings to the game, Agassi is simply a fan. “Watching him is watching history,” he says. “You see it every time with the way he conducts himself—with the fans, with his peers, with the media.

“I just have more appreciation than the average fan because he makes it look so easy and I actually think I know what it takes. And it’s truly remarkable.”

Agassi’s admiration for today’s champions doesn’t stop there. Speaking to TIME on Saturday, two days before Serena Williams announced her withdrawal from the French Open because of a pectoral injury, Agassi praised her return to the court after the birth of her child as a sign of her “determination, clarity, discipline, commitment and competitiveness.”

Mehdi Taamallah—NurPhoto/Getty ImagesSerena Williams attends the tennis match game during the Roland Garros Tournament in Paris, France, on June 2, 2018.

Much to the joy of fans worldwide, Williams, a 23-time grand slam winner, had played to form through three rounds in her grand slam comeback after giving birth to her daughter in September 2017. “It’s a challenge that probably equals a playing field for her, in many respects—which speaks to how great she is,” he says.

Agassi became a father himself while he was still playing professional tennis. His wife, the German tennis star Steffi Graf, gave birth to their son in 2001 and daughter in 2003. “Having children does change your perspective,” says Agassi. “I could never speak as a mother because there’s something about a mother’s love and commitment…not to mention what you go through physically.”

Though he couldn’t have predicted Williams’ withdrawal from the tournament, he understands the fight it takes to get back in the game. He says: “Seeing champions struggle and overcome adversity or difficulty, whatever that may be, is a pleasure. Success or failure, I respect that fight and that commitment.”

NEW YORK (Reuters) – “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” won the Tony for best play on Sunday while “The Band’s Visit” swept the musical categories with 10 wins, including the top award best musical at Broadway’s annual honors for the best in theater.

NEW YORK (Reuters) – “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” won the Tony for best play on Sunday while “The Band’s Visit” swept the musical categories with 10 wins, including the top award best musical at Broadway’s annual honors for the best in theater.

The son of a housemaid works very hard, becomes a doctor and builds a very responsible life in the country. One day in the summer of 1948, he is called to attend to a patient in Hundreds Hall, where his mother once worked. In the years that have…

http://www.acrx.org -As millions of Americans strive to deal with the economic downturn,loss of jobs,foreclosures,high cost of gas,and the rising cost of prescription drug cost. Charles Myrick ,the President of American Consultants Rx, announced the re-release of the American Consultants Rx community service project which consist of millions of free discount prescription cards being donated to thousands of not for profits,hospitals,schools,churches,etc. in an effort to assist the uninsured,under insured,and seniors deal with the high cost of prescription drugs.-American Consultants Rx -Pharmacy Discount Network News

http://www.acrx.org -As millions of Americans strive to deal with the economic downturn,loss of jobs,foreclosures,high cost of gas,and the rising cost of prescription drug cost. Charles Myrick ,the President of American Consultants Rx, announced the re-release of the American Consultants Rx community service project which consist of millions of free discount prescription cards being donated to thousands of not for profits,hospitals,schools,churches,etc. in an effort to assist the uninsured,under insured,and seniors deal with the high cost of prescription drugs.-American Consultants Rx -Pharmacy Discount Network News

The first trailer for The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part begins on a somber note, as Lucy (voiced by Elizabeth Banks) talks about a "new life that has hardened and toughened us all." Except for Emmet Brickowski (voiced by Chris Pratt), of course, who still thinks everything is awesome!

Five years have passed since the events in the smash-hit The Lego Movie, so what exactly has changed? Watch the first trailer below and then check out our summary of everything we know about the…

‘The Bachelorette’s Becca Kufrin reveals why she has no reason to believe Garrett Yrigoyen is a racist, sexist or intolerant after he ‘liked’ transphobic, anti-immigrant, and sexist posts on social media.

When it comes to beloved game franchises in Japan, there are few series that inspire as much feverish devotion as Square Enix’s Dragon Quest. With kids and adults alike famously bunking off school to play each new highly-anticipated installment, its iconic Blue Slime mascot is a character that commands almost Mario-like levels of reverence in the land of the rising sun.

Hell, Square’s seminal RPG is even giving Disney a run for its money, with Dragon Quest soon getting its very own attraction at Universal Japan. Over here though? Well, that’s a very different story. Outside of fan circles, mentioning Dragon Quest in the West is more likely to elicit bemused shrugs than excited shrieks. Now though, Square is hoping to change all that.

After a decade of being shackled to Nintendo handhelds, the publisher has opted to bring the series back to consoles. But is a newly-added HD sheen enough to finally win over Western audiences?

Dragon Quest Z

The game's characters were designed by legendary Dragon Ball creator, Akira Toriyama.

The first thing that might strike newcomers is how weirdly familiar all of Dragon Quest XI’s brilliantly drawn characters feel. Drawn by legendary Dragon Ball creator, Akira Toriyama, this cel-shaded world of monsters and adventurers immediately pops on screen, exuding a sense of warmth and playfulness that instantly sets it apart from its JRPG peers.

And make no mistake – despite the marketing hints otherwise, Dragon Quest XI is very much a traditional JRPG. While early trailers showcased a hero on horseback exploring sprawling landscapes, this definitely isn’t the Breath Of The Wild-beater that many hoped it would be.

For starters, the world players traverse is far from open. While you do get to trot along some pretty looking locales on the back of a trusty steed, these areas are essentially just fully-realised versions of the classic JRPG staple – the world map.

Archaic Adventuring?

Like the games that pioneered the genre two odd years ago, Dragon Quest XI once again sticks to the series’ tried and tested turn-based battles. Like in the classic Final Fantasy games, players are presented with your standard ‘attack’, ‘magic’ and item selections.

As genre veterans will expect, there is an alternative. If you want to grind for that juicy XP but don’t want to waste precious time selecting the same attacks, you can set your party to auto-battle, with a tactics menu allowing you to tweak which party member focuses on healing and who remains the aggressor.

Battles are about as traditional and simplistic as turn-based RPGS get.

It felt serviceable enough, but even when playing with a full party, battles were surprisingly simplistic. Without any summons or timed button presss attacks thrown into the mix, the combat here looks to be as basic as turn based battling gets.

While we’ve only spent a couple of hours with Dragon Quest XI, its combat felt disappointingly pedestrian after the free-roaming showdowns of Ni No Kuni II. What it lacks in innovation though, it at least makes up for in charm. Enemies are full of personality, with tear-drop shaped slime monsters gleefully bouncing around the battlefield before unleashing their equally adorable attacks. Whether it was animated cactai, angry-looking birds or slighty more furry foes, each enemy was always a joy to behold, with unique animations and facial expressions really making each one feel wonderfully distinct from what came before.

Leading the Charge

While there are some pretty stunning locales to explore, this is less an open world and more a slightly extended version of a traditional JRPG World Map.

Still, battling in Dragon Quest XI isn’t an entirely old-school affair… Or at least how you pick a fight isn’t anyway. In a nice touch, those endlessly irritating random battles are now a thing of the past. As you gallop across each monster-infested section of the world map, you’ll see your colourful-looking foes waddling along the battlefield in plain sight.

This means it’s up to you whether you want to bother engaging them, meaning that being dragged unwilling into combat is now a thing of the past. As well as choosing to ignore these foes, you can even opt to go one further and really ruin a monster’s day.

While galloping around the world map, squeezing the right trigger allows your horse to speed up and charge straight into unsuspecting little critters, instantly sending enemies flying and stunning them.

Tales of Traditionalia

Our two hours with DQXI featured more genre tropes than you can shake a potion at.

Story-wise, Dragon Quest XI looks to offer the same kind of genre tropes. A boy from a small village who discovers he’s important? Check. An evil King that wants to thwart the powerful hero? You bet. While the tale it looks to tell may be as traditional as they come, thankfully, Square Enix has opted to tweak it a bit for Western audiences.

Despite Dragon Quest XI launching last year in Japan without any voice acting, Square Enix has used that time to fully voice this story.

Like the Dragon Quest Heroes games before it, XI relies on a ye olde English voice cast to bring its anime-styled characters to life. It feels pretty bizarre to walk into a village and hear a farmer wax lyrical in a thick West Country accent. Still, it does add an undeniable sense of charm to what could have simply been walls of text.

Corrupt Kings and teenagers with dormant abilities are the order of the day here.

That’s not the only tweak Square has made for us Westerners. In order to speed traversal up a bit, players can now dash around town, with a newly added camera allowing players more control of movement and even allowing them to take snaps of their scenic surroundings.

Other little niggles have been ironed out in order to make the game feel more in line with modern experiences, with a newly simplified menu and cleaner UI thrown in for good measure. If that wasn’t enough to justify a year of waiting, Square has also rewarded patient fans with an all new hard difficulty setting – Draconian Mode.

How’s Dragon Quest XI Shaping Up?

For longtime fans of the series, more expansive environments and a shiny new HD paintjob will probably be more than enough to justify a purchase. Yet, for newcomers, what we’ve seen so far makes this a harder game to recommend. Where Dragon Quest Builders showed Square steering the series into fun new territory, what we saw of the series’ eleventh entry looked surprisingly old hat.

While there’s certainly nothing wrong with a nostalgia-soaked JRPG, its hard to imagine Dragon Quest XI being the entry to finally break the West. From what we played, it looks like there’s definitely an enjoyable RPG here, but those looking for a more forward-thinking Japanese adventure may want to stick with Ni No Kuni II.

Spy thriller The Rhythm Section halted production back in January due to a hand injury actress Blake Lively suffered on set while filming an action sequence. Production has resumed, according to THR, and now Sterling K. Brown (Black Panther, Hotel Artemis, The Predator) has joined the cast. What do we know about the film?

What's it about?

First published in 1999, Mark Burnell's novel follows Stephanie Patrick, a woman whose family has been killed in a suspicious airplane crash on…

http://www.acrx.org -As millions of Americans strive to deal with the economic downturn,loss of jobs,foreclosures,high cost of gas,and the rising cost of prescription drug cost. Charles Myrick ,the President of American Consultants Rx, announced the re-release of the American Consultants Rx community service project which consist of millions of free discount prescription cards being donated to thousands of not for profits,hospitals,schools,churches,etc. in an effort to assist the uninsured,under insured,and seniors deal with the high cost of prescription drugs.-American Consultants Rx -Pharmacy Discount Network News

Actor Cas Anvar of “The Expanse” was about to shoot a scene in which, suspended by wires, he would jump off a set of stairs, spin around in simulated zero gravity, and catch a blob of beer in his mouth that he had spurted from a metal can. Space.com

NEW YORK (AP) — ABC’s “Good Morning America” is expanding to a third hour — and swallowing “The Chew” to make room.

The network said Wednesday the new third hour will air at 1 p.m. Eastern, which is often the spot for the cooking show. “GMA” starts at 7 a.m.

“The Chew” has aired for seven seasons. ABC didn’t reveal when the third hour of “GMA” will begin, but said “The Chew” episodes will air as planned until September.

Thank you so much to the most amazing fans in the world for your outpouring of love and support. It has been such a privilege to have you share your stories of how @thechew has been a small part of your lives for the past seven years. I might need another box of tissues now! https://t.co/89Cz43htFg

It all came down to this! While Adam Levine was out, the other three coaches had contestants in the final four: Blake Shelton‘s team members Kyla Jade and Spensha Baker; Alicia Keys‘ solo singer BrittonBuchanan; and first-time coach Kelly Clarkson‘s BrynnCartelli.

During the finale, season 13’s winner Chloe Kohanski returned to perform, as well as Jason Aldean, James Bay, Big Sean, Florence + the Machine, Halsey and Dua Lipa! However, it was all about the contestants.

Team Blake’s Kyla and Spensha came in third and fourth, respectively! Before the winners were announced, both Keys and Clarkson had the chance to talk to their finalists.

“I just want to tell Brynn there are no final words. We’re so excited, we have people lined up that love her and want to work with her. And honestly, same thing for Britton. First and second, who cares! Y’all have delivered,” Clarkson said. “I couldn’t be more proud of both of you!”

Keyes echoed Clarkson. “You’re both so powerful and incredible and focused and driven and passion about what you love and what you do,” she said. “You’ve taken this opportunity and continued to grow in each moment … [you’re] both winners. Everybody sees who you are, and there’s nothing that stops you at this point. This has been a platform for you that you’ve utilized! You’ve taken it, and people love you even more now.

So, who took home the title of The Voice? The youngest finalist ever, Brynn! Clarkson, a first time coach, won it all — and both were in tears!

It’s been 14 years since moviegoers first saw the Incredibles save the day by defeating the evil Syndrome, and the world has become a different place since we last saw Jack-Jack and his family in theaters.

While no time has passed in the upcoming sequel, which picks up the action right where the original left off, a lot has changed in the real world.

Ahead of Incredibles 2 arriving in theaters on June 15, let’s take a look at how life has evolved since we originally met the first family of Supers in 2004.

Pixar Is Bigger Than Ever

Pixar was only nine years into making feature-length films, beginning with 1995’s Toy Story, when The Incredibles first premiered. And while both of those films were critical and commercial successes, the production company is now three times bigger than it was back in 2004 and has only gotten better with time.

The Incredibles was the first Pixar film that featured human beings as the main characters, giving them a wider range of facial expressions than ever before. But that was only the beginning. By the time that Brave was released in 2012, there was a visible improvement in the animation of human characters, including advancements in expressions and more realistic hair. Last year’s Coco was one of the most visually impressive films that the studio has ever released, so expect the upcoming superhero sequel to deliver a whole new level of awesome animation.

Superheroes Have Taken Over The World

The Avengers

It may be hard to think back to a time before the Marvel Cinematic Universe was the ruler of the cinematic world, but we hadn’t even been introduced to Iron Man or Captain America on the big screen back when The Incredibles was first released. And while films about heroes have been around forever, theaters are now more flooded with superhero flicks than ever before.

So with all that superhero saturation, how will Incredibles 2 stand out from the pack? Director Brad Bird says the answer is simple — family. The dichotomy between watching a nuclear family live out their mundane daily lives and witnessing them use their superpowers to save the world is what will make the film feel different from everything else that’s in theaters.

The #MeToo Movement

Elastigirl, Jack-Jack, and Mr. Incredible in 'Incredibles 2'

The superhero sequel is switching things up by having Mr. Incredible reluctantly stay home with the kids while his wife, Elastigirl, is the one out in the world fighting crime. Putting the focus on the female superhero and proving that she is just as capable as her husband is the perfect fit in 2018, with women in Hollywood and all over the world fighting for equality.

But as much as the film’s plot is a perfect reflection of current events, it’s actually just a coincidence that things turned out that way. Because of how long it takes to actually animate an entire film, it’s not really possible for creators to respond to what’s currently going on in the world. Bird actually said that he started imagining what it would be like to swap the roles of the patriarch and matriarch before the original film was even finished.

It’s not really surprising that Pixar was ahead of the curve when it comes to empowering its female characters, and we’ll get to see how the storyline pans out — and how great the animation is — when Incredibles 2 hits theaters on June 15.

Luc Besson, director of The Fifth Element and Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, is under investigation by French authorities for alleged rape.

The accusation comes from a formal complaint lodged by an unnamed 27-year-old French actress. A report from French media outlet Europe 1 (h/t The Hollywood Reporter) notes that the two have known each other for a number of years.

The complaint, which was brought forward on Friday morning, states that Besson added something to the accuser’s tea during a meeting at Le Bristol, a Paris hotel. It goes on to state that she fell unconscious after drinking the beverage, and she awoke to the director “touching and penetrating her” (THR‘s words). Read more…

With “Winter Sleep,” Turkish auteur Nuri Bilge Ceylan signaled a shift in style, increasing the importance of extended dialogues to the visually rich chamber pieces he plays out on grand stages. “The Wild Pear Tree” goes a step further, building elaborate rhetorical set pieces of such density that digesting them in all their intricacies at […]

The Crew was one of the more ambitious games of the console generation when it launched in 2014. Developed by Ivory Tower and Ubisoft Reflections, the racing game pushed the limits of the open world by allowing players to drive from coast to coast through a scaled-down recreation of the US. Dozens of cities and landmarks were present, giving players the feeling of a cross-country road trip as they tackled objectives in an extensive story-driven campaign.

But in spite of its ambition, the failure of the The Crew was oddly simple: It just wasn’t fun to play. On top of a variety of technical issues, the AI was prone to vicious rubber-banding, the vehicles themselves felt floaty and unresponsive, and players had to be online to play the game at all, no matter what they were doing in-game.

Famke Janssen and Robert Patrick have joined John Travolta and Morgan Freeman in the crime thriller “The Poison Rose,” Variety has learned exclusively. Janssen will play Travolta’s love interest in the film. Former high school sweethearts, the two rekindle their romance when she hires him to investigate a murder. Travolta will play a private investigator […]

Sony this week announced that its E3 2018 showcase will take place on Monday, June 11th at 6:00 PM PT / 9:00 PM ET, but also that it may look slightly different than it has in recent years. In the most recent episode of the PlayStation Blogcast, Sony Interactive Entertainment America CEO Shawn Layden seemed to suggest that the company will veer from tradition, noting that Sony will be taking “a different angle” when it comes to this year’s showcase.

First off, the event will be highlighted by four console exclusives: Death Stranding from Kojima Productions, Ghost of Tsushima from Sucker Punch, Marvel’s Spider-Man from Insomniac Games, and The Last of Us Part II from Naughty Dog. Layden says that Sony will take a “deep dive” into each of these PS4 exclusives.

Cover yourself in mud, and get to the choppah, because the first teaser trailer for The Predator is here. The fourth movie in the series about lethal alien hunters — or sixth if we count the Alien vs. Predator crossovers — looks to be a very different take on a property that began with Arnold Schwarzenegger in the jungles of South America in 1987.

Our first look at The Predator includes appearances from the movie's stellar cast, including such…

The question remains: Can two divorced men share an apartment without driving each other crazy? Of course not — which is why “The Odd Couple” still makes us laugh, more than 50 years after Neil Simon wrote it. It was a play, a sitcom and, in 1968, a film — one that gave us Jack…Entertainment | New York Post

The ladies of the daytime talk show The Real won their first Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show Hosts. The show is currently hosted by comedian Loni Love, actress Tamera Howry, singer Adrienne Bailon and TV personality Jeannie Mai. After losing in the category, the hosts of The View discussed other shows modeled after them […]

http://www.acrx.org -As millions of Americans strive to deal with the economic downturn,loss of jobs,foreclosures,high cost of gas,and the rising cost of prescription drug cost. Charles Myrick ,the President of American Consultants Rx, announced the re-release of the American Consultants Rx community service project which consist of millions of free discount prescription cards being donated to thousands of not for profits,hospitals,schools,churches,etc. in an effort to assist the uninsured,under insured,and seniors deal with the high cost of prescription drugs.-American Consultants Rx -Pharmacy Discount Network News

The idea of an Academy Award winner starring in an action movie directed by John Woo is kinda mind-blowing, especially for longtime fans of the filmmaker's work. Add in a gender switch in the lead role and our intrigue immediately soars.

Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong'o (12 Years a Slave; Black Panther, above) is in negotiations to star in The Killer, according to Deadline. It's a new version of John Woo's classic Hong Kong action film. If things work out, Nyong'o will…

The opening or closing night of a film festival can make a statement — about where that festival, or the larger world of film, is headed. Tonight, the Tribeca Film Festival made a striking statement by presenting Liz Garbus’ “The Fourth Estate” as its closing-night selection. Garbus is a reknowned documentary filmmaker (“Searching for Bobby […]

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – “The Man Who Stole Banksy,” a street art documentary that will premiere at New York’s Tribeca Film Festival on Friday, spins a tale that mixes would-be art-world avarice with Middle East politics.

“They killed my friend. So I’m gonna kill each and every one of them. And the only disappointment is that I only get to do it once,” Washington’s retired CIA black ops operative Robert McCall says in the clip, released Thursday by Sony Pictures.

The film franchise is based on the ’80s television series of the same name starring Edward Woodward.

Directed by Antoine Fuqua, the sequel to 2014’s “The Equalizer” follows Washington’s “high-level paid government assassin” as he seeks revenge for his friend’s murder. His journey takes him around the world, particularly to Turkey to save a young girl who was kidnapped from her American mother, as detailed in the opening sequence of the trailer.

It’s always risky using a time jump as a plot device — but the new season of The CW’s “The 100” pulls it off. “We take a lot of chances, and sometimes we hit and sometimes we miss,” says showrunner Jason Rothenberg. “But the fact that it was a risk — a bold choice —…Entertainment | New York Post

With Fear the Walking Dead proving a success – it’s now on Season 4 – it’s perhaps no surprise that Walking Dead bosses are talking about expanding the universe further. One of the major characters to make a big impact on the main show has been villain Negan, played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan.

Fans both love to hate and love to love the charismatic bad guy. So the prospect of a spin-off focused on Savior boss Negan is very alluring – and not just to fans. Jeffrey Dean Morgan would love one too.

“I would like to see Negan before the zombie apocalypse,” he told FANDOM while doing publicity for his latest film Rampage. In the movie, Morgan plays a character called Agent Russell, who bears more than a passing resemblance to the Walking Dead bad boy. So much so, in fact, that the actor also discussed the similarities between the two characters, along with the chances that Russell is Negan, and the idea that Rampage could be a prequel to The Walking Dead. You can watch him talking about this here.

More Negan Required

Negan was captured by Jadis — and manipulated her into releasing him by tugging on the heartstrings.

“Now, if he’s this guy, Agent Russell, I’d like to see that,” continued Morgan. “But [Walking Dead creator] Robert Kirkman has done a little bit of thought on the Negan pre-zombie apocalypse, and I would be more than happy to see that. I would like to take part in some filming of that. I think that would help explain this character a great deal. Because, unfortunately, the way things go with so many characters and storylines, we don’t see enough — and I think that that is needed, especially when you have a character like Negan.”

The main show has only revealed glimpses, up to now, of Negan’s backstory. And what we’ve learned has been very much according to Negan himself, who is not necessarily a reliable source. Especially when the moments when he’s let details slip have been during periods where he’s been vulnerable. Notably, when marooned in a hut surrounded by walkers with Father Gabriel, and also when tied up by Jadis. He’s certainly been able to manipulate both by spilling some secrets about his past in each instance. So we surely have to take what we’ve learned so far about Negan with a pinch of salt.

Backstory Reveal

Negan recounted elements of his backstory to soften Father Gabriel and bend him to his will.

But while Morgan definitely feels Negan’s story could be better explored in his own spin-off series, he did tease that there could be more Negan history revelations to come in The Walking Dead.

“[We’ve had] a little bit more this season, which is nice, but I’d like to see more. I think it’s important not only for the development of the character but I think the show. So we’ll see,” he said.

When FANDOM interviewed show boss Greg Nicotero recently, he told us that he’d love to work on a frozen zombie spin-off – which Morgan would also love to be a part of.

“Why don’t we just go up to Canada or upstate New York where I live? That’d be great,” he said. “I’m sick of shooting in Georgia in the middle of summer. That’s rough. I like the idea of shooting some frozen zombies. That would be cool as hell. Literally and figuratively.”

In the first sequel of his career, Denzel Washington reprises his role as Robert McCall in The Equalizer 2. He's a retired agent who lives quietly and keeps to his own business, though when individuals are exploited and oppressed, he is ready to adminster justice on their behalf. So how will he react when someone he loves comes under attack?

Check out the first exclusive images and poster for the film below. Additionally, the first trailer for the film will debut online tomorrow….

Oscar-winning screenwriter John Ridley has teamed up with producer Jason Blum for a movie adaptation of his comic book series The American Way: Those Above and Those Below. Deadline Hollywood reports the 12 Years a Slave writer will be writing and directing “a film that uses superheroes to explore timely social issues including race and integration.”

Ridley and artist Georges Jeanty created The American Way in 2006, a comic book limited…

Need a quick recap on the past week in movie news? Here are the highlights:

BIG NEWS

A Quiet Place is a huge hit: John Krasinski's A Quiet Place surprised at the box office by becoming one of the biggest horror hits of all time, and now we're likely to get a sequel plus more substantial projects for the actor-turned-director. Read more on the success here, see what's next for Krasinski and Emily Blunt here and what A Quiet Place…

Given today's climate of constant news, speculation and commentary concerning our favorite characters at the movies, sometimes it can be frustrating when all of the theories and and ideas ultimately go unrequited. Some fans even find themselves panicking at the lack of new developments concerning their favorite franchises and characters, thinking that the old adage just doesn't hold true. Instead, they think "no news is bad news."

SPOILER ALERT: This post contains spoilers from the Season 8, Episode 15 of The Walking Dead, entitled “Worth.” Proceed with caution.

Last week’s episode ended with Negan miraculously escaping from Jadis’ captivity. On the way back to Sanctuary, he picked up a mysterious passenger. Armed with the knowledge that Simon ordered the massacre of the Scavengers, Negan was determined to expose the treachery within his ranks.

Negan Is Back

With Negan presumed dead, Simon started to feel comfortable as the big man in charge. He even enjoyed having Gregory underneath his heel. Dwight — who has been working as a double agent — began feeling safe as well. Then, Negan’s whistle broke the silence.

At first, it seemed like Dwight was exposed. However, Negan reassured Dwight, reminding him he needs to do the right thing “when the time comes.”

Negan then held a meeting with his inner circle. Simon started to convince him that he only did what needed to be done. “I’m gonna need you on your knees,” Negan said while wielding Lucille. It seemed like lights out for Simon right then and there but Negan surprisingly declared, “all is forgiven.”

Negan then outlined his plan to bring down the Hilltop once and for all — by surrounding the community with outposts and sniping anyone who leaves for supplies, dwindling them down.

Simon’s Mutiny

Simon, motivated by his brush with death, decided to overthrow Negan. He and his loyal followers met Dwight outside. Once more, Negan’s whistle sound. Dwight had tipped the Savior leader off to Simon’s mutiny. Negan then ordered that Simon’s followers be gunned down, but spared Simon’s life, offering him the chance to fight for control.

With the leadership of the Saviors at stake, the two men squared off in Sanctuary’s main hall. An enraged Simon seemed to be getting the upper hand, but in the end, Negan knocked him down with a leg sweep and choked Simon to his last breath. Thus, Simon’s short-lived mutiny ended.

A Traitor Is Unmasked

While the fight was happening, Dwight handed Gregory the map with Negan’s plan. He told the former Hilltop mayor to deliver it to Rick. Gregory bolted out of Sanctuary as fast as he could.

After the fight, Negan awarded Dwight the position as his “right hand man.” Before Dwight could express his gratitude, Negan had something to show him. Negan opened the door into the next room. Laura – the woman who witnessed Dwight’s betrayal – was inside.

Negan began to put the pieces together of Dwight’s betrayal – calling him a “nothing” and a “nobody.” Dwight was still trying to process what had happened. Negan revealed to Dwight that those plans he showed were fake. At first, Negan thought about killing Dwight but figured he was more useful alive.

A lot of questions have been answered in this week’s episode of The Walking Dead. Dwight and Simon received Negan’s punishment like most fan’s expected. But what does Negan really have planned for the Hilltop? What role will Dwight play in the final battle? And will Rick and the others be prepared for what’s to come?

As Fox starts pre-production on the second season of “The Four,” versions of the singing competition show are being worked up in numerous international territories, delegates at a Variety-hosted MipFormats session heard in Cannes on Sunday. The show has been greenlit by broadcasters CTC in Russia and Antena 1 in Romania. Armoza Formats, which created […]

One of the best parts of Steven Spielberg's new movie, Ready Player One, is a sequence set inside of Stanley Kubrick's movie of The Shining. As acknowledged on screen, Stephen King is not a fan of that adaptation of his book. But hopefully King isn't upset with the tribute to Kubrick over himself there, because Spielberg is still interested in someday making a movie out of King and Peter Straub's fantasy novel The Talisman.

The Endless is, in one sense, about a crazy UFO sex cult situated in rural California. It’s also, however, a rumination on rebellion, the cyclicality of life, and the dangers of becoming trapped in corrosive, repetitive patterns of thought and behavior. Moreover, it functions as an intricate portrait of the ties that bind siblings, and the way those familial bonds can both hold us back—from finding ourselves, and a place in this world that we can call home—and set us free.

And it also features a demon god that may or may not be malevolent.

Suffice it to say, The Endless (in theaters April 6) isn’t your run-of-the-mill scary film. However, it is most definitely recognizable as a work by writers/directors Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson, whose prior collaborations—2012’s Resolution and 2015’s Spring—similarly mashed up genres in ways that were unexpected and exhilarating.

http://www.acrx.org -As millions of Americans strive to deal with the economic downturn,loss of jobs,foreclosures,high cost of gas,and the rising cost of prescription drug cost. Charles Myrick ,the President of American Consultants Rx, announced the re-release of the American Consultants Rx community service project which consist of millions of free discount prescription cards being donated to thousands of not for profits,hospitals,schools,churches,etc. in an effort to assist the uninsured,under insured,and seniors deal with the high cost of prescription drugs.-American Consultants Rx -Pharmacy Discount Network News

Dwayne Johnson, aka The Rock, has a problem and he is pretty sure that Jimmy Kimmel can help him solve it.

The Rock stopped by Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Tuesday night to ask Kimmel for help. “We’re expecting probably within the next two weeks, so I’m on code red high alert,” he told Kimmel.

“As of now, the doctor said it looks like we’re gonna be OK. The baby should be born when it’s due, which is April 25.” There’s one small problem, though: The Rock is in the middle of a press tour for his new film Rampage and has to be away from home. If the baby comes early, as babies frequently do, Johnson is worried that he won’t make it back in time to be in the delivery room when his girlfriend, Lauren Hashian, gives birth.

Johnson needs someone on call to step in and lend a helping hand on his behalf if he can’t make it. That’s where Kimmel comes in. “I’m going to need a doula that’s going to help me deliver and, well, it’s gotta be you,” he told Kimmel.

Since no one says “no” to The Rock, Kimmel quickly agreed. “I’d love to be the doula,” the host said. “I’d be more than happy to fill in for you. I will wear one of your outfits—the whole thing.” That’s what friends — and late night talk show hosts — are for, apparently.

Helen Hunt stars in The Miracle Season as a women's volleyball coach with a daunting task ahead of her. The team has just suffered the tragic loss of its star player and must rally all their resources if they are to have a shot at the state championship.

In our exclusive clip, we can see that the coach's tough-love strategy has sparked the team to new heights. That's exemplified by Kelly (Erin Moriarty), a confident, determined player who's stepped up as a leader.

Anthony Atamanuik’s Donald Trump went out in a blaze of surprisingly poignant glory at the end of his Christmas special last December. Performing an Aimee Mann cover from his Oval Office set, he warned the American people, “It’s not going to stop, until you wise up.”

That might have been it for the best Trump impersonator in comedy—Alec Baldwin included—after Comedy Central quietly declined to pick up The President Show for a second season. But given an unexpected ratings bump for the Christmas show, the network has decided to double-down on the hour-long special format, beginning with this week’s Make America Great-A-Thon: A President Show Special, airing Tuesday night at 11 p.m. while The Daily Show is on hiatus.

“I’m actually really happy about the specials,” Atamanuik tells me by phone from New York a few days before the telethon-themed hour is set to air. He’s just left the floor of the New York Stock Exchange where he was taping a TV interview and no, he says, they did not let him ring the bell. “I actually said to the guy who showed me the bell, ‘What happens if I ring it? Do they all stop?’ And he said, ‘Do not even joke about that.’”

LOS ANGELES (AP) — TBS’ “The Last O.G.,” starring Tracy Morganas a man just out of prison and learning his way around a changed world, also holds a lesson in comedy chemistry.

Morgan’s Tray has it with “Girls Trip” star Tiffany Haddish, who plays the ex-flame who built a successful life and marriage instead of waiting out his 15-year sentence for dealing drugs.

There are sparks as well when Tray tries to mentor his cousin, Bobby, played with free-wheeling glee by Allen Maldonado, or trades coarse one-liners with Cedric the Entertainer as Mullins, a halfway house manager.
Morgan, who had a difficult recovery from injuries suffered in a 2014 highway crash, generously shares “The Last O.G.” (as in “original gangsta”) as a showcase for all, not one.

The TBS comedy debuts 10:30 p.m. EDT Tuesday.

“Maybe I’m just a better man now since the accident,” the former “Saturday Night Live” player said during a Television Critics Association Q&A. “I know it ain’t about me. It’s bigger than me. I thank God for that.”

Created by Jordan Peele, the Oscar-winning “Get Out” filmmaker, and John Carcieri (“Eastbound & Down”), “The Last O.G.” gives Morgan room to play the goofy bombast he perfected in “30 Rock” and the yearning of a man desperate for another chance.

(There are expletives, bleeped as expected on basic cable, but also plenty of raunchy references to be heard, especially in the back-and-forth between Tray and Mullins.)

The returning Tray finds his Brooklyn neighborhood is gentrified, his cronies are gone or turned into legit businessmen and his adored Shay (Haddish) is living the affluent dream with nice-guy husband Josh (Ryan Gaul) and teenage twins — which, doing the math, Tray figures were fathered by him.

Tray doesn’t want to claim the title of dad or upend Shay’s family, Morgan said. But he does want to be part of a parental trio and have a role in the lives of Amira (Taylor Mosby) and Shazad (Dante Hoagland).
“I could have come home and been a problem in her (Shay’s) life, but then I had to look at (her husband) and I had to look at my kids,” he said. “And I see they were in good hands. So that’s what we also want to get across in the show, that it’s about the babies.”

And while the cast is predominantly African-American (aside from Shay’s white husband), the show is meant for all, Morgan said.

“This isn’t a black show. This is a show about humanity. This is the show about second chances. This is a show about redemption,” he said. “Who are we to say others don’t matter?”

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, one of Hollywood’s top paid stars, said on Monday he struggled with depression after watching his mother’s attempted suicide and encouraged men suffering from the disease to open up about their struggles and seek help.

Tracy Morgan says the idea to team with Jordan Peele for “The Last O.G.,” Morgan’s return to series TV, was spurred by his grueling recovery from a near-fatal 2014 car crash. “This was an idea I had in my head for about eight years. This [series] is my life. It’s the characters I knew growing…Entertainment | New York Post

The leader (and sole survivor) of the Scavengers captured the Savior leader after his scuffle with Rick. She took his clothes and his barb wire-wrapped bat, Lucille.

A flashback revealed how Jadis survived the massacre orchestrated by Simon, Negan’s top lieutenant. As the Saviors were mowing down the Scavengers, Jadis fled. She found a body and covered herself with blood, playing possum. After the massacre, she mourned and cleaned herself up.

Jadis took Negan prisoner and his bat, Lucille.

Negan — who didn’t know about the massacre or that Simon ordered it — pleaded with Jadis. “That was the work of someone not following the program,” Negan said. “I’ll own this. I am sorry for this.”

Jadis chained Negan to a trolley, and then wheeled out another trolley with a walker tied to it. It appeared to give Negan a chance to fight for his life gladiator-style, as she did Rick earlier in the season.

A still tied-up Negan was able to get a gun and flare, as well as some of Jadis’ personal photos. He threatened to burn the photos with the flare. Jadis tried to wrestle the flare away, not only to save the photos, but signal a helicopter flying overhead.

Jadis had a timer set for the helicopter pick-up.

The flare went out, and by the time she retrieved another one, the helicopter flew away. She threatened to burn Lucille as revenge, but Negan begged her not to (revealing Lucille was the name of his dead wife).

Who is piloting the mystery helicopter?

She decided to spare both Lucille and Negan. Negan offered to join forces with her again, but she refused, retreating back into the heaps of garbage.

Meanwhile, Morgan continued to lose his sanity, setting up his departure from the show. He and Rick went after the Saviors that escaped Hilltop, brutally killing them all.

Both Rick and Carol told Morgan he was someone who saves, and not kills, but to no avail. When Rick asked why Negan saved him all the way back in Episode 1, Morgan said, “because my son was there.”

Later, after discovering Henry (whom he considers his son) was still alive, Morgan wept.

It was also revealed that the arrow that struck Tara was not tainted, so she will not turn.

The Tommyknockers: Filmmaker James Wan (The Conjuring 2, above) will help bring Stephen King's The Tommyknockers to the big screen. Like last fall's smash hit It, The Tommyknockers was first adapted for television; the sci-fi/horror story follows small town residents as they fall under the spell of a mysterious object. It producer Roy Lee will also work on the new project, along with Larry Sanitsky, who served as executive producer on the 1993 TV version. [THR]

A museum dedicated to the dachshund, Germany’s short-legged, long-bodied “sausage dog”, opens next week in the southern city of Passau, and will show more than 2,000 exhibits from dog-shaped bread to a giant golden statuette.

It was an emotional celebration for Tracy Morgan at the premiere of TBS’ new comedy, “The Last O.G.” The cast assembled at The William Vale in Brooklyn to celebrate the series as well as Morgan’s return to television after he survived a near-fatal 2014 accident. “I’m glad to be back in front of my audience. I […]

When we think of the works of William Faulkner, we’re unlikely to muse upon feelings of glorious rebirth, or any kind of positive reversal. Cram your mind full of almost any of his novels—minus, perhaps, the potboiling Sanctuary, written by a fame-seeking Bill for cash—and you will come away away with the sensation that that family of yours you’ve complained about over the years is a veritable benchmark for stability and support. You may then reach for the bottle on behalf of the clans that Faulkner’s imagination created.

You can’t get much more dysfunctional than the brood at the heart of The Sound and the Fury, but what I would also tell you is that here we have the ultimate Easter novel.

There isn’t exactly a booming Easter lit market. It’s not like Christmas, where we have a bumper crop of ghost stories that will last as long as we do as humans. There is a story from 1886 by Chekhov called “Easter Eve,” which involves a guy taking a barge across a river on his way to a church service and the ferryman telling him about this dead buddy of his who never got to share his stories with anyone. That’s pretty good. But yeah—there’s an Easter literature void.

Sevdaliza (real name: Sevda Alizadeh) is an Iranian-born, Dutch-based singer whose music is an ever-morphing combinations of European, Persian and electronic influences. It’s often described as “trip-hop” and while that holds true for the ricocheting beats and occasional quavering Portisheadian moods, it’s loaded with FKA Twig-ish elements as well as swooning string arrangements that recall […]

As previously announced, 20th Century Fox film chairman-CEO Stacey Snider recently told The Hollywood Reporter that there are talks to create a stage adaptation of the Hugh Jackman-led musical film, following its box office success. For the first time, Jackman commented on this in an interview with Forbes.BroadwayWorld.com Featured Content

Political thrillers aren't an easy sell at the box office anymore, unless they have an extreme premise. The Purge and its sequels (including The Purge: Election Year, above) and upcoming prequel were successful because they're so over the top. Get Out was a huge hit because it mashed up genres for an original story dealing with race in America. Neither of these properties were necessarily for one or the other side of the political aisle, which means they could make…

Out with the old and in with the new: a new Prince Philip just rolled into the royal court, and he’s a very familiar face to Outlander fans.

Tobias Menzies, the talented actor in the Starz show behind both Jack and Frank Randall, joins the Netflix cast of The Crown for its upcoming Season 3. Those familiar with Outlander know that Menzies can really ride the line between a perfect British gentleman, and an abhorrently vindictive human being — which is perfect for Philip’s characterization in this fictionalization of the royal family.

Ratings for the eighth season of The Walking Dead have dropped to first season levels, the lowest in the long-running franchise’s history.

And while the show is still among the most-watched on cable, what’s causing audiences to flee?

FANDOM breaks down five reasons why season eight of The Walking Dead has struggled.

1. Never-ending Conflict

AMC has branded the conflict between Rick Grimes and Negan as an all-out war, but it feels like a drawn-out war. That storyline lasted two full seasons, with both sides taking losses and no end in sight.

And while fan-favorite Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Negan has been fun to watch, his character is, well, problematic. Negan’s debut was savage and strong, but he’s basically become a caricature. If he had a mustache he’d be twirling it. Getting rid of Negan is the fastest and best way to get The Walking Dead back on track.

2. Too Many Characters

The all-out war has involved numerous factions: The Saviors, Alexandria, Hilltop, the Kingdom, the Scavengers, and Oceanside. And while it makes sense that a war has many players, jumping back and forth between each only drags out the plot. Take Oceanside for example. While we love the idea of an all-female community surviving on its own, the multiple visits have netted nothing but guns – guns that could’ve been found in a stash. And don’t even get us started on the Scavengers, who we can’t even understand.

3. Not Enough Zombies

The title of the show is The Walking Dead, but walkers have taken a back seat to human conflict. On one hand it makes sense. As time passes, communities come together, build walls, and amass weapons to fight the dead. But there’s been more attacks among the living. The undead threat, the horror element that once drove the show, is now gone.

4. Carl’s Death

War has many casualties. So when Carl – one of the original cast members – died of a walker bite instead of in a blaze of glory against Negan, fans felt cheated. Moreover, Carl represented two important things. The first was hope – the fact that a kid could grow up in a post-apocalyptic world and become a leader. The second was family. As Carl lay dying, Rick said everything he did was for him. Now that his son is gone, Rick has lost that motivation.

5. Broken Families

As we just mentioned, family and bonds are important to The Walking Dead. Carl’s death not only ended a father-son relationship, but also the caring mother-son relationship he had with Michonne, and his burgeoning romance with Enid. These were relationships the show built up and fans were invested in. The same could be said about Glenn and Maggie. Even relationships between newer characters – like Aaron and Eric, and Tara and Denise – ended before they are developed. When the show loses those bonds, it loses viewers.

The Walking Dead is one of the best programmes on TV. Watched by millions of fans around the world, the hit show from AMC has become a global phenomenon. However, things don’t always go to plan (anyone remember that deer?). So let’s look at five of the strangest and most unrealistic aspects of The Walking Dead.

Excellent Dental Hygiene

The Walking Dead takes place in an apocalyptic world. We often see Rick and the rest of the gang move from place to place, scavenging for food and supplies for survival. Food and water are pretty scarce, so it’s strange that every single character has perfect teeth. Seriously, every person on the show has teeth as white as milk.

While everyone is trying to survive and find food, they must stop off and pick up a load of Oral-B ultra white and Listerine: Complete Whitening mouthwash. Either that or they have absolutely horrendous breath.

We’ve never, ever seen Rick and his gang of survivors pick up a load of dental hygiene products. I mean, do they even have toothbrushes anymore? If so, we haven’t seen them. Its an aspect of the show that just makes no sense. We need answers!

Unlimited Supply of Petrol

Just where do they get all this petrol from?

In every series of The Walking Dead, we have seen Rick, Daryl, and a host of other characters drive around in vehicles to get from point A to point B. In all eight series’, there has never been a time where petrol was an issue.

There seems to be a never-ending supply of petrol and diesel for the various vehicles the characters use. Where does all this come from? Do they siphon it from other cars? If so, which ones. It was more believable in Series 1 when our gang of survivors were on the road and came across abandoned cars all the time, but now, nope.

They’ve only got a handful of vehicles they use and they can’t go about sharing fuel from one to another and I highly doubt they pop over to the local petrol station to fill up (just leave the cash by the register, folks), so how do they never run out of fuel?

Characters Never Wear Armour

Characters never seem to protect themselves even though a single scratch is deadly.

In The Walking Dead, a single scratch from a walker is deadly. A single scratch. So why do the characters never seem to protect themselves? You could argue that armour is hard to come by, but the folks over in the Kingdom seem to have loads available, so why not use it?

Remember that time Carol was rescued by survivors from the Kingdom? They were protecting themselves pretty well. Once all the communities came together, did they not share? Rick, Daryl, Michonne, and everyone else just ride into battle wearing jeans and a t-shirt. But why?!

Never mind the danger of getting shot by The Saviours, what happens if you come across a walker? Sure, chances are that a walker will be shot or beheaded, but why take the risk? If all it takes is a single scratch to die and let the virus take over, surely it would be wise to suit up?

Why Is the Grass Not Overgrown

Who exactly cuts the lawn? Why is it not an overgrown mess?

Gardeners in The Walking Dead must be super busy throughout the year. Every location we visit on the show seems to be pretty well looked after. Take the prison for example. It’s filled with walkers, the interior is dark and damp, and there’s a sense of misery surrounding the place.

Then you look outside and it’s almost perfectly preserved. The grass is always perfectly mown. Perhaps the survivors use grass cutters every day to keep it tidy, but considering survival is of paramount importance, it’s highly unlikely that lawn styling is at the top of their to-do list.

What about lawnmowers? These machines are so noisy that they would attract attention in a heartbeat. Rick and the gang of survivors should be climbing through jungles at this point. Considering no-one looks after the environment, it seems pretty well kept.

Accurate Headshots. Every. Single. Time.

Running? Sprinting? No problem! Perfect headshots all the time.

Almost every episode of The Walking Dead features some kind of combat, either between groups of survivors or against the reanimated dead. This, in itself, is to be expected. What’s not to be expected, however, is how good everyone seems to be at shooting.

All of the survivors seem to have insane skills when it comes to bringing down the enemy. It’s hard enough to hit a target when standing still, so the fact that Rick and the other group members can run and hit their target in the head perfectly is just so unrealistic.

It goes even further. Many people don’t have the training and skills to handle weaponry and are thrust into the story simply by chance. Yes, they must have been able to stay alive and survive by having at least some skill, but the fact that everyone can shoot a walker or another human in the head perfectly is silly.

The Walking Dead has reached its eighth season, and while it remains excellent television, the show can often leave you thinking “Really?” It doesn’t have to be perfect, but it should offer at least some explanation for things that seem impossible.

Claire Foy finally responded to the controversy over her pay discrepancy on “The Crown”

The Queen has finally spoken! Following the controversial report that Claire Foy, star of Netflix drama The Crown, was paid less than co-star Matt Smith — who played her husband, Prince Philip, a character who was undoubtedly a supporting role compared to the freakin’ Queen of England — the actress revealed that she wasn’t the least bit surprised the news caught everyone’s attention.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly on Friday, March 23rd, Claire Foy said this about the upheaval over her paycheck:

“I’m surprised because I’m at the center of it, and anything that I’m at the center of like that is very very odd, and feels very very out of [the] ordinary,” Foy said. “But I’m not [surprised about the interest in the story] in the sense that it was a female-led drama. I’m not surprised that people saw [the story] and went, ‘Oh, that’s a bit odd.’ But I know that Matt feels the same that I do, that it’s odd to find yourself at the center [of a story] that you didn’t particularly ask for.”

The magnanimous Foy added that she “can’t wait to see” the next season of The Crown. “I’ll be asking to see it earlier than it’s available,” she said. “I think Olivia Colman’s amazing.”

The news was just the latest in a string of ongoing revelations about the state of equal pay in Hollywood.

Another recent example of the gender pay gap in Tinseltown is that of Michelle Williams and Mark Wahlberg. The actors were paid vastly different amounts while working on the movie All the Money in the World. Wahlberg earned $ 1.5 million for the film’s reshoots, while Williams received a per diem of $ 80/day after offering to do the reshoots for free. Wahlberg was also paid *eight times* more than Williams in the first place, even before the reshoots became necessary.

For its part, the production company behind The Crown apologized to Claire Foy for the pay discrepancy.

“We want to apologize to both Claire Foy and to Matt Smith, brilliant actors and friends, who have found themselves at the center of a media storm this week through no fault of their own. Claire and Matt are incredibly gifted actors who, along with the wider cast on The Crown, have worked tirelessly to bring our characters to life with compassion and integrity,” Left Bank Pictures said in a statement.

Showrunners have also promised that moving forward, no one would get paid more than the Queen.

That’s great for incoming star Olivia Colman, who will portray the Queen during the show’s third and fourth seasons. However, it doesn’t necessarily benefit Foy.

Jared Harris, who played Foy’s onscreen father, King George VI, said he believes the only way to rectify the situation is to compensate Foy with back pay so that her salary retroactively matches Smith’s.

“She deserves to be paid as much as [Smith] was, she worked longer hours,” Harris told Digital Spy. “Her performance is a huge reason why this thing is going to have a season 3, 4, 5 and 6. She’s a massive part of it. They should write a [check], it wouldn’t be that much either what they’re talking about, I’m sure. She wouldn’t have been that far off what he got paid. Send her a [paycheck] and, in retrospect, bring her pay up to parity.”

There’s no word on whether Left Bank will take Harris up on his suggestion. But we wholeheartedly agree with the idea. Paying Claire Foy what she’s owed — and what she deserves — should be a royal decree, don’t you think?

The Earthquake Bird: Alicia Vikander (Tomb Raider, above) and Riley Keough (Logan Lucky) are finalizing their deals to star in The Earthquake Bird. The noir thriller is based on Susanna Jones' novel about a young expatriate in Tokyo who is suspected of murder after her friend goes missing. Wash Westmoreland (Still Alice) wrote the screenplay and will direct. Production will begin in May. [Deadline]

Jet Trash: Before she appeared in big Hollywood productions like The Mummy…

In an interview on RuPaul What’s the Tee, a podcast hosted by RuPaul and Michelle Visage, Kristin Chenoweth provided an update on the development of her Tammy Faye Bakker project. Bakker was famed as a Christian singer, evangelist, television personality, and businesswoman, the life of which Chenoweth would like to pay tribute to onstage. The work has yet to come to fruition, but is still in the process, she says.BroadwayWorld.com Featured Content

Pressure is mounting for “The Crown” star Matt Smith to donate part of his earnings from the Netflix series to the Time’s Up legal fund after it was revealed that leading lady Claire Foy was paid less than her male co-star.FOX News

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According to executive producer and creator Lena Waithe, the goal of The Chi is to bring an authentic voice to the city of Chicago.

Cast members Jason Mitchell and Jacob Latimore joined executive producer and actor Common on a panel moderated by TV Guide‘s Jim Halterman during SXSW. During the panel discussion, the group reflected on several different scenes presented on screen and tied them back to why it was so important that this story is told authentically.

“It’s a unique way to look at black people… We’re really just being. We’re not tap dancin’, we’re not trying to get out the hood, we’re not rappin’,” said Waithe.

Common joked, “What’s the matter with rappin’?” but, completely understood Waithe’s perspective. “I didn’t want to play a dude from Chicago, but mostly that happened because there were people writing who didn’t know what a dude from Chicago would really be like. It’s a testament to how great Lena has created these characters. I wanted to be a part of the show because the writing is so great and the characters have dimensions to them.”

Mitchell added, “It’s already a blessing when you know that somebody is authentically from somewhere and they’re executive producing it and they’re writing it and you got Common also jumpin’ in and doing the same thing. It’s a wave that you know you gotta get on top of.”

“I don’t think I would have been a part of it if there weren’t any real Chicago people behind the project,” said Latimore. “We’re just giving Chicago a real voice. It’s really dope.”

It’s amazing to see Hollywood embracing authentic and diverse voices. This is a conversation that expands beyond multiple industries and we see what happens when done correctly. The numbers speak for themselves; just look at Black Panther grossing over $ 1 billion to date and the Ava DuVernay-directed A Wrinkle in Time, leading No. 2 in the box office.

In addition to Waithe and Common, the series is also executive produced by Elwood Reid, Aaron Kaplan, Rick Famuyiwa, Derek Dudley, and Shelby Stone of Freedom Road Productions. The series is produced by Fox 21 Television Studios and will return with new showrunner Ayanna Floyd Davis, according to Variety.

The Chi is wrapping up its first season with the finale this Sunday, March 18, but not to worry—fans haven’t seen the last of it. The show has been renewed by Showtime for season 2. Premiere dates have not been announced.